Rust And Bone
I made the mistake of watching Rust and Bone after watching Skyfall. This was my mistake. Because after a heart racing, superficial action movie, my brain just refused to engage any sort of multi layered movie. Yet Rust and Bone needs time and patience to appreciate its magnificent. Snubbed so foolishly at the Oscars (it did win the P'alme D'or) and quite overshadowed by Amour, French-Belgian film Rust and Bone (Des Rouille et D’Os,) is a striking and beautiful film that is extremely French. It is a stunning film about overcoming different weaknesses and delves deep into what makes us ultimately human.
Set in Antibes, the south of France, Rust and Bone tells two separate stories who lives collide when they fall apart. There is wannabe yet unemployed boxer Ali, who has taken his son from his drug addict ex to crash with his sister and her partner. And then there is Stephanie, a whale trainer at a local aquarium. When they meet at a club, Stephanie thinks nothing more of it until tragedy happens. Losing her legs in an accident at the aquarium, Stephanie becomes terminally depressed. Cast out from the world she knew, she gets in contact with Ali and he comes into her life as a friend. Through their compassion and mutual understanding, Stephanie and Ali help each other build their future together.
Rust and Bone, as I mentioned before is an incredibly beautiful film at the heart of it, is deeply real. While some may not like the slow and plodding pace of the movie, it is important to the story that we take our time and follow the journey our characters make. There are some heart-wrenching scenes such as when Stephanie is reliving training the whales or Matthias with his son. There is barely a moment that we are allowed to dry our tears before we are crying again.
Don’t get me wrong, Marion Cotillard as Stephanie is maginifique and her character is breath taking. But the highlight of Rust and Bone though is Ali. Played sublimely by Belgion actor Matthias Schoenaerts (catch him in Bullhead at the moment at your local indie cinema,) Ali is an unashamed character. He is truly wonderful despite his hard exterior because he looks at Stephanie and her injuries and shows no pity on her. In fact, it is “so what?” or “pick your self up” attitude that really drives the film. He shows no judgement and instead offers the stability and back bone for people to lean against. Unfaltering from his stance, when his will and love is tested, it is a tear jerking scene.
Initially you may be mistaken in thinking that Rust and Bone is all about the shock of Stephanie’s injuries and artistic shocks but if you peel back the incredible shots, you’ll find a heartbeat pulsating constantly. Every part of this movie feels very real (even the copious amounts of sex, but hey, it’s French,) and echoes such grand emotion to the audience effectively. It is a brilliant portrayal of earth shattering events that could change someone’s life and the steps we take in order to gain a better future.
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